Undead at Sundown (26 page)

     Then the Apache was knocked of its feet by Joel. But was quickly up and with a single blow sent Joel sprawling across the ground. Joel slowly began to get to his feet but the Apache walked over and began stomping on the back of Joel’s head with feet that seemed to be growing too big for its shoes. It roared again as if sensing victory over its nemesis and Bill wondered if the undead Apache actually knew it was the second coming of Joel Blackwater it was destroying.

     The sound of hooves caught Bills attention and he saw Trent riding up behind the roaring Apache. Trent readied his huge knife and with a swing lopped the things head clean off. He bought his horse to a standstill and all eyes were on the still standing body of the headless Apache.

     Bill found himself beginning to see hope again. Hope that it was over, at least for Eskadi’s son. Surely no creature, no matter how supernatural, could recover from losing his head. He watched and waited for the body to collapse but it didn’t.

     Instead it began to run towards Trent who’s eyes widened and he stood poised with his long blade. The thing ran to Trent and then extended a heavy leg kicking the knife wielding Apache in the chest. Trent let out a huge rush off air and was then knocked off his feet. The headless thing then reached up it’s hands and begin to shake and then suddenly, to Bills horror, something began pushing up out of the stump of the Apache’s neck.

     Bill had been present at the birth of a woman in a town he had lived in before, helping in any way he could and the site of that round thing pushing its way through the neck tissue reminded him of the child being born. It continued to push it’s way up until something that resembled a head sat where seconds before there was nothing. A layer of skin covered the head shaped thing but began to fall away and underneath was an exact replica of the head that had been there before.

     Bill started to feel dizzy. It was like being in some terrible nightmare, only here the pain was real as was his impending sense of doom. The chiefs son began to stare at Bill and the Sheriff had no fight left in him. It sure was a hell of a way to go, he thought to himself, as the hulking creature walked towards him.

     Things then got even stranger as a huge strip of light appeared to burst from the creatures stomach. It let out another roar, only Bill didn’t think this was a roar of victory but one of pain. It looked down at the light that seemed to be spreading across his stomach and then seemed to be trying to reach behind itself. From behind the large mutated body of the Apache stepped Jack Blackwater. Bill thought Jack was winking at first, only to then realise he had lost and eye. He was holding a blade in his hand and staggered around the big Apache before he stood facing it. The thing looked down at Jack but still seemed to concerned with the injury to its back.

   
 
‘Go back to hell you ugly bastard’ Jack said before ramming the blade into the Apaches chest. Jack staggered backwards and the Apache creature juddered and shook. Beams of light seemed to shoot out from all parts of its body until it was like a miniature sun, the glare causing Bill to shield his eyes. A boom then filled the air as the thing exploded, but unlike the gory mess that the other things had left behind it seemed to turn to dust before the light faded and then, it was gone.

     Jack and Bill stood looking at the space where the thing had been standing moments before. Bill felt relief wash over him. The thing had gone when only seconds before Bill had seen it grow a new head.

     Trent came lumbering into view holding his ribs, many of them broken from the force of the kick he had received. The elation Bill was feeling didn't last long as a drooling Joel came creeping into the clearing. He was breathing heavy and his eyes were fixed on his father. He approached Jack who was peering at his son with his one remaining eye. The two stood facing each other, just a couple of feet apart.

     Joel was grinning and twitching as if trying to fight some savage urge to hurt the old man. Jack raised his hand to the side and threw the knife he was holding onto the floor by Bills feet. Bill picked the blade up and slowly crept up behind Joel Blackwater. He looked around the side of Joel over to Jack who, although was looking into the white eyes of his son, gave the smallest of nods and that was all Bill needed.

     Bill plunged the blade into Joel’s back and the undead Blackwater let out a huge cry of pain. The light, though not as bright as it had been with the Apache, beamed out of his back. He reached around to find what had caused him such pain and as he turned to see who had inflicted the wound Bill plunged the knife into Joel’s chest.

     Joel screamed and grabbed for Bill, catching hold of his shirt. The Sheriff of Sundown had no fight left in him and was willing to accept whatever was going to happen. The burst of light that filled Bill’s vision, accompanied by a deep booming sound, signalled the end of Joel Blackwater and the hand that held onto the Sheriff turned to dust. Bill stood looking directly at Jack. Tears rolled down the now one eyed man’s cheek but he made no sound. It was just the way he was made.

   
 
‘I don’t know about you Sheriff’ said Jack ‘But I could really do with a whiskey.’

   
 
Bill just smiled as he had no energy for a reply. He walked over to Jack and help support him. The two of them began to walk, to where neither of them were really sure.

32

As Bill and Jack Blackwater wandered through the camp neither man could believe what they were seeing. Where there had been chaos there was only now an eerie calm. The village was littered with red mush where, it seemed, the undead had either been killed or as Bill thought had combusted when the mutated Apache and Joel had been destroyed. It didn’t matter now Bill supposed as they were gone and that was that.

     Before long the two men, now accompanied by Trent, saw a group of men around ten in number, standing on the edge of the village. As they grew closer Bill could see that the men were made up of one of Blackwater’s killers, two of the Hamilton boys and the rest were men from Sundown. The person he didn’t see was Ken and Bill’s heart sank.

   
 
‘Goddam’ Jack shouted. ‘I didn't expect any of you to be left.’

   
 
The men, battered and bruised, managed a proud smile, all expect the Hamilton brothers who didn't turn to face Jack or Bill.

   
 
‘Where’s Ken?’ Bill asked. ‘I thought he was with you men.’

   
 
At this Ed Hamilton turned to face Bill. ‘Last time I saw the rotten son of a bitch he had turned tail and run. Alway’s knew he was a yellow bellied chicken shit.’ Ed spat on the floor as he finished the sentence and Abe Hamilton laughed.

     Jack looked at Bill. ‘I don’t know about you Sheriff but from what I know of Ken Murphy, that just doesn’t ring true.’

   
 
Bill didn’t answer as he felt he didn’t need to. He looked back towards the Ed Hamilton.

‘I don’t buy that’ Bill said, his tone tired but harsh. ‘Ken ain’t the sort to run from anythin'.’

   
 
Ed Hamilton again turned around but this time he had a look of hate on his face. ‘I couldn’t give two fuck’s whether or not you like what I’m sayin' cause it’s the way it fuckin' was. I suggest you mind your tone with me. I lost my brother today and I ain’t in the mood to listen to any horse shit from the likes of y…’

   
 
Ed Hamilton was cut short by the sound of a gun shot which didn’t hit him but hit the fence just to the right of him.

     All of the men in the group turned to see who was shooting, some of them pulling their weapons. Bill and Jack turned to see Ken walking out from the carnage of the village. He had something protruding from his head and Bill soon realised it was a knife. Ken was about to shoot again and he was staggering a little.

   
 
‘Don’t shoot Ken’ Bill shouted. ‘What happened to you?’

   
 
Ken took a few more steps and looked ready to drop. ‘It was those mother f….Fucker's’ Ken stuttered. ‘They raped a woman, and st..stuck this knife in my head when I tried to stop em.’

   
 
Bill turned and looked at the Hamilton’s, Ed was drawing his gun.

   
 
‘You gonna put that old bastard out of his misery or shall I?’ he said, aiming his words towards Bill.

   
 
‘That ain’t all Bill’ Ken continued his breathing becoming laboured. ‘Told me it was them who killed Sheriff Watts.’

     ‘That true?’ Bill asked looking into Ed Hamilton’s eyes.

   
 
‘What if it is? What the fuck you gonna d..’

   
 
Ed Hamilton’s words were cut short as Bill took his pistol and fired a shot into Ed’s groin. A patch of blood quickly spread over Ed’s trousers and his hands went to the bloodied area. Bill fired again this time blowing off part of Ed Hamilton’s hand and then fired a second shot into the man’s groin.

   
 
‘You reckon that’s took your pisser off Ed?’ Bill asked.

     Ed made a dry croaking sound and Bill finished the man by firing a shot into the centre of the man’s forehead. Once Ed was face down and stone cold dead his brother Abe, went for his gun. Ken fired and the shot looked to have missed the man but then Bill saw it had taken most of Abe’s ear off.

   
 
‘Son of a whore’ Abe screamed before Blackwater drew his gun and fired three bullets into the man, two of them hitting him in the thighs and the third went into his stomach. Abe staggered forward still trying to raise his gun until around four of the men from the town of Sundown lifted their pistols and fired around twenty shots into Abe Hamilton’s body, hitting him in the back, groin, stomach, chest, neck and face.

    Once the shooting stopped he flopped onto the floor as if it had been the bullets entering him that had been holding him up.

   
 
‘I feel that at least some kind of justice has been served here Sheriff.’ Jack said.

   
 
‘I totally agree’ Bill replied ‘Now what’s say we find our horses and get our broken down asses back to town, plus we need to try and get that blade out of Kens head otherwise he is never gonna get his hat off!’ 

   
 
Bill’s words were met with a rumble of agreement and the men went in search of horses to take them back to Sundown.

33

It had been two years since all hell had broken loose in Sundown. There wasn’t a day that went by when Bill didn't think about it. It was something he didn't think he’d ever witness in his lifetime and everything that happened in Sundown after that time seemed like a walk in the park.

     Now and again there were unsavoury types that came into town, most times by way of the new railway which had been finished but nothing seemed to phase Bill. He had a trusty deputy in Ken who’s only long lasting injuries from the head wound was the occasional stutter. Bill also had a second deputy in Trent, who did a great job of helping him keep order in the town. If more numbers were needed, which hadn’t yet been the case, then there were plenty of townsfolk willing to help out as they, as much as Bill, wanted to keep the town safe.

     The town itself had expanded somewhat with the railway bringing in more custom and more than few folks had made there way down to Sundown to start up new businesses, attracted by the places safe reputation as well as it’s colourful history.

      Bill would often stand outside of his office and look out on the hustle and bustle of the streets, he was happy man and for the first time in his life he was content.

     When work was over, Bill would go home to his wife of almost two years in Gina James, formally Gina Murphy, and his two children. His son Bill Junior was fast earning the reputation as a little handful in the James household and had earned the nickname ‘Wild Bill’ from his parents. Their other child, Connie they had named her, was only a little older and was the baby girl that Bill had caught from the roof just over two years previous. It turned out the little girls father had long since left Sundown on that terrible night and so Bill felt he had no option other than to take the little mite on himself and Gina treated both children just the same.